Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has remained largely out of public view since the Obama administration began lobbying for support of an airstrike to punish the regime for alleged use of sarin gas in violation of international law. Until now.

In a wide-ranging interview that airs in full Monday evening, Assad sat down in Damascus with CBS News’ Charlie Rose to respond to allegations that he had used chemical weapons; reflect on how his reputation had changed from potential democrat to despot; and to offer thinly veiled warnings of how his allies would respond in the event of a US attack.

Five takeaways from the interview:

1. “Nobody expected the 11th of September.”

In response to questions about how the regime would respond if attacked by the United States, Assad said Washington should “expect everything,” including terrorist attacks. “The governments are not the only player in this region. You have different parties, you have different factions, you have different ideologies, you have everything in this region now,” he said. When Rose asked him if he meant that a response could include the use of chemical weapons, he said, “That depends. If the rebels or the terrorists in this region, or any other group in this region have it, it could happen, I don’t know, I’m not a fortune teller.” Hinting at unforeseen consequences that could come from an attack in a region he described as “on the brink of explosion,” Assad said, “Nobody expected the 11th of September.”

2. “We don’t call him butcher, we call him a doctor.”

Rose asked Assad how he feels about his image on the international stage, as it has plummeted over the years from hopeful reformer to vicious dictator. His response, an apparent attempt to justify brutality in the face of insurrection, is bone chilling: “When you have a doctor who cuts the leg to prevent the patient from the gangrene if you have to, we don’t call him butcher, we call him a doctor,” Assad said. “When you have terrorism you have a war, when you have a war you always have innocent lives that could be the victim of any war. “

3. “Not a single shred of evidence.”

Comparing Secretary of State John Kerry’s assertions to former Secretary of State Colin Powell’s misleading presentation to the United Nations in the run up to the Iraq War, Assad said there is “not a single shred of evidence” to support the claim that his regime is responsible for the use of chemical weapons.

4. “We prepare ourselves for every possibility.”

Despite the version of reality presented by his Instagram account, Assad says things have not been all wine and roses for his inner circle since the war began more than two years ago. When Rose asks him if he’s prepared for a U.S. airstrike, Assad says, “We have been living in difficult circumstances for the last two years and a half, and we prepare ourselves for every possibility. But that doesn’t mean if you’re prepared things will get better. It’s going to get worse with any foolish strike or stupid war.”

5. “This war is going to support Al Qaeda and the same people responsible for 9/11″

When Rose asks Assad what he would say to the U.S. Congress if given the opportunity, he asserts that an American attack on Syria — the prospect of which he refers to repeatedly as “war” — is against American interests, and cites recent polls that indicate a lack of support among the American people for an airstrike. “The United States’ (credibility) is at an all-time low. This war is against the interests of the United States. Why? First of all this war is going to support al Qaeda and the same people that killed Americans in the 11th of September.” He goes on to ask Congress to closely scrutinize the evidence the adminisrtation presents to support what Assad calls, “the chemical story.”

President Obama and the traitorous Congress people are more than willing to get YOUR CHILDREN KILLED fighting for some BS they started as their kids go to private school and spend the day buying dogs and getting drunk. Look at all the freedoms we have given up since 911, look at all the dead soldiers, lost money that could have been used here, all the other wars we have been involved in since then from Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, etc-and what did we the American people get for this? Poverty and the NSA breaking into our cell phones and emails. 911 would have never happened if we minded our own business from the beginning. Obama says we are against oppression and for democracy? Tell him to explain Saudi Arabia and Bahrain then. What a complete PHONY.

I hate to say it , but this Assad seems to make more sense than our own president, and our media. The only "evidence "they have that the Assad regime used chemical weapons is no evidence at all. If they had any real evidence they would have presented it by now. Now we are supposed to arm the rebels,which we know used chemical weapons recently, and probably used it this time.

First, an attack on Syria means we would be helping muslim extremists establish sharia law in Syria setting back civil rights for all women a few hundred years, as women have few rights under Sheria law, as they are considered property, not individuals.

Secondly, it would mean that it would no longer be safe for christians, because as we know from other countries that are ruled by Islamic law, all one needs to do to get a Christian put on death row is to make a claim that they offended Mohamed. It does not matter if the claim is true or false, and the police are not generally interested in investigating to determine the truth. When lots of muslims rally demanding the Christian be put to death -- let's just say it's not save.

So an attack on Syria would help muslim extremists establish Sharia law and Islamic law resulting in both women and Christians losing their rights. Why would any christian country do this. But wait, the US has a muslim president - I guess that explains why he want the US to attack and help the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist group.

To support an attack on Syria is to attack principles that the US was founded on -- an attack on freedom -- an act of TREASON. I am a US citizen and if our muslim president attacks, it's time for the muslim to go!!!

Now what is left to fight? Obama was almost at the knee of Israeli gurus to save his Presidency by convincing majority Senators and Congress members allowing him to bomb Syria, but Russia and Syria has wisely agreed to the elimination of chemical weapons from Syria under the U. N. Control. If still Obama will misbehaved and go for the illegal, unwarranted and unauthorized war, he will be proved as the most idiotic President, and soon will be impeached by the Congress and Senate. The war hysteria need to be stopped by tonight and Obama should wash his hands of this Syria war and be busy on economy, immigration bill and Budget. Hope, he got the golden opportunity to stay his term, and will not lose it. Then, we can ask Israel to follow the path to make the middle east free of WMD's.

Condoleezza Rice: "All that I can tell you is that it was not in the August 6 memo, using planes as a weapon. And I do not remember any reports to us, a kind of strategic warning, that planes might be used as weapons."

This is not true, although Bush-era officials downplayed what was known.

Indeed, even former NSA official and whistle-blower Tom Drake confirmed on national coast to coast radio that the intelligence community had received a warning airplanes were about to strike the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, PRIOR to 9/11.

When we advised a senior CIA official of a mass scale event involving the use of chemical weapons in Syria, in June 2012, the official replied:

“I doubt Syria will use chemical weapons because they do not fit well with the threat. Chemical weapons are useful in countering a mass ground force invasion. They also may have some utility in an offensive strike against a concentrated force. What Syria faces is very similar to what the U.S. faces in Afghanistan, a distributed body of insurgents. Unfortunately this sort of nonsensical fear publication might encourage the insurgents to detonate some captured chemical weapons in the expectation that Syria will be blamed … There are false claims by lunatics, frauds and idiots during times of crisis. Some political groups want to cast dark shadows on the regime, so they put forward such claims as though having merit. The purpose of these weapons is to deter foreign attack, not put down an insurgency.”

The military industrial complex in the States is currently closing down
two major money pits called Iraq and Afghanistan. They are now doing
their well funded/orchestrated marketing campaign to capture their next
source of income.
ditorial from A.M. Costa 9 Sept 2013

Who has the biggest motive for the Syrian gas
attack?
The question no
one seems anxious to answer is what was the strategy that
would have caused troops loyal to the Syrian government to
fire missiles with deadly gas on civilians.

President Barack Obama goes on television tonight to try to
rally the United States to support some sort of strike
against the Syrian regime.

The attack Aug. 21 supposedly was on a Damascus suburb that
wire services say were populated with opposition supporters.
About 1,400 persons died.

Said Obama in his weekly address Saturday:

"We are the United States of America. We cannot turn a blind
eye to images like the ones we have seen out of Syria."

But what was the goal in gassing at least 400 children? The
answer to that is troubling to the utmost.

There was no strategic advantage to the Syrian regime from
the attack. The murders were designed for headlines. The
principal suspects are 1.) the opposition, 2.) certain
people in Washington or perhaps Langley. Whoever did the
crime is trying to take advantage of Obama's low popularity
and his desire to act presidential.

But the real danger is that if the U.S. launches some form
of attack, there could be a false flag operation within the
United States that could be blamed on the Iranians or Muslim
terrorists. The advantage to that would be further
tightening of the central governments control in light of
the embarrassment over the NSA eavesdropping.

Certainly the Syrian opposition would love to see the United
States enter the civil war on its side. Considering the
caliber of
the people in
the opposition, a gas attack to make a political point is
not out of the question.

The Israelis, who have been considered suspects, really have
no advantage in supporting either side. Israeli officials
hope for a prolonged and bloody civil war wiping out any
number of potential enemies.

But what about the motives of some in the United States.
A.M. Costa Rica is not a fan of Barack Obama. But this
newspaper could never believe that he or his close aides
were behind the attack for public relations reasons. Some
have suggested that Obama wants to launch an attack against
Syria so he would look presidential. And he may do that.
Even if Obama had such a depraved mind that he would
engineer a sarin gas attack, the presidency is far too
visible to keep such an act hidden for long.

That is why the suspicions fall on the dark figures lurking
in the basements of certain government buildings. These are
places where pragmatism rules, and morality and ethics are words in a dictionary.

Suppose Obama launches an attack. Suddenly sarin gas
canisters are opened in New York City with fatal results.
The U.S. response to this presumed attack would be to
tighten further the unconstitutional actions of the new
authoritarians in Washington. More restrictions on travel.
Perhaps martial law. Perhaps justification for NSA
eavesdropping and the need for more.

The best part of this conspiracy is that most officials
would not have to be in on the dirty secret. They would
respond knee-jerk and uncritically to the presumed threat.

Who has the biggest motive for the Syrian gas
attack?
The question no
one seems anxious to answer is what was the strategy that
would have caused troops loyal to the Syrian government to
fire missiles with deadly gas on civilians.

President Barack Obama goes on television tonight to try to
rally the United States to support some sort of strike
against the Syrian regime.

The attack Aug. 21 supposedly was on a Damascus suburb that
wire services say were populated with opposition supporters.
About 1,400 persons died.

Said Obama in his weekly address Saturday:

"We are the United States of America. We cannot turn a blind
eye to images like the ones we have seen out of Syria."

But what was the goal in gassing at least 400 children? The
answer to that is troubling to the utmost.

There was no strategic advantage to the Syrian regime from
the attack. The murders were designed for headlines. The
principal suspects are 1.) the opposition, 2.) certain
people in Washington or perhaps Langley. Whoever did the
crime is trying to take advantage of Obama's low popularity
and his desire to act presidential.

But the real danger is that if the U.S. launches some form
of attack, there could be a false flag operation within the
United States that could be blamed on the Iranians or Muslim
terrorists. The advantage to that would be further
tightening of the central governments control in light of
the embarrassment over the NSA eavesdropping.

Certainly the Syrian opposition would love to see the United
States enter the civil war on its side. Considering the
caliber of
the people in
the opposition, a gas attack to make a political point is
not out of the question.

The Israelis, who have been considered suspects, really have
no advantage in supporting either side. Israeli officials
hope for a prolonged and bloody civil war wiping out any
number of potential enemies.

But what about the motives of some in the United States.
A.M. Costa Rica is not a fan of Barack Obama. But this
newspaper could never believe that he or his close aides
were behind the attack for public relations reasons. Some
have suggested that Obama wants to launch an attack against
Syria so he would look presidential. And he may do that.
Even if Obama had such a depraved mind that he would
engineer a sarin gas attack, the presidency is far too
visible to keep such an act hidden for long.

That is why the suspicions fall on the dark figures lurking
in the basements of certain government buildings. These are
places where pragmatism rules, and morality and ethics are words in a dictionary.

Suppose Obama launches an attack. Suddenly sarin gas
canisters are opened in New York City with fatal results.
The U.S. response to this presumed attack would be to
tighten further the unconstitutional actions of the new
authoritarians in Washington. More restrictions on travel.
Perhaps martial law. Perhaps justification for NSA
eavesdropping and the need for more.

The best part of this conspiracy is that most officials
would not have to be in on the dirty secret. They would
respond knee-jerk and uncritically to the presumed threat.

When Muslims want to take a country and turn it into a Sharia Lawland pushing a nation back into the 7th century stone age, I would personally used poison gas on these Mohammed lovers. What Assad is trying to do is to end the war quickly. Atomic bombs are too much, but poison gas maybe help.

you are so close to a truth. and if this site allows this to stand, I will show you what I found out...posted under....Remembering 9/11 / by Massingale...

to see the photos...

September 11,2001...the day that the world stood still. I will never forget and I will never stand down from my fight to end this Afghan War and a lie of why we was attacked in first place. I hated and blamed all Muslims for this attack, so I set my hand to work to end this War and destroy my enemy. I must of been a fool to trust in this Government. All this crap they shoved down our throats that our enemy did this because they want us to die as a people so that they can bring forward their people to have this earth, and we are to die. Only in part of this is truth that some of them within the Islam Faith, a Drug World of Drug Lords who control their people through their dope. The International Boycott Of The Arabic Drug Empire, was at first in support of or Government, now almost 2 to 8 years later, this boycott stands against them for a lie.

During in the 1970s, when the Russia was the biggest threat to America and radical Islam was not as a concern of the USA’s, the USA began funding and training Islamic militants to fight our Russian enemies in Afghanistan.The First Attack on the Twin TowersOn Feb. 26, 1993, an ugly new phase of terrorism was ushered in when Jordanian Eyad Ismoil drove Kuwaiti Ramzi Yousef and a 1,300-pound nitrate-hydrogen gas enhanced bomb also stuffed with cyanide into the parking garage below the World Trade Center in Manhattan. Something happened between the 1970's to 1993. Government Officials along with Pharmaceutical Companies here in the United States and over seas, invested into Bin Laden's Heroin Empire..Terrorist, no more then Drug Dealers in a lost way of faith.. Bin Laden was a world wide hero, and more so among his people, a welcome member of this Government, and he invested in the Stock Market. A player with billions to spend.September 1,2001 Bin Laden orders the second attack against the Word Trade Center.American Marines in an opium poppy field in Marja, Afghanistan, last month. The military decided not to destroy the fields.<nyt_byline>By ROD NORDLANDPublished: March 20, 2010KABUL, Afghanistan — The effort to win over Afghans on formerTaliban turf in Marja has put American and NATO commanders in the unusual position of arguing against opium eradication, pitting them against some Afghan officials who are pushing to destroy the harvest.This link here to this site, the solder was bought out and now his site is no more then a shopping center.3 Soldiers Die to Protect Poppy Fields :: Real Oath Keepers

@jlibbey I think the problem we now have is that the people are waking up. They know that Assad didn't order the chemical attack and that it was done by the rebels. I hope you saw the VIDEO of the rebels actually doing it. I've seen the video. You'll find it on youtube. And did you see the little girl who was being hacked up while still alive by the rebels? There is no excuse for Americans to allow the thug you call the US president to remain in office. America should take a lesson from the Egyptians. But somehow, I don't think Americans are as brave as Egyptians so they will have to endure whatever comes their way as long as they sit on the sidelines.

@Tony5555 Hear! Hear! That scum bag should have been impeached long ago. He has committed treason more than once. Not only should he be impeached, but he should go to prison where all the low class scum go.

@JohnDahodi dreamer boy unlike your republican criminals that have been impeached. your drooling only makes you look butt hurt from losing the election twice. No matter if he nuked the place the democrat controlled senate will never do it and you will just look even more retarded for trying.

@Gary_S_Bekkum Don't repeat this because I think it just may be rumor, but I heard that Obama plans to get rid of the very rebels (al Queda) that he is now supporting in the war against Syria. The globalist agenda is to unseat all the heads of state in the middle east. This plan has been in place for several years. And you can see that it is being done. So the plan is to use the rebels (al Queda) to carry out this plan, and then to get rid of them.

@GivingtwoCents Believe me this really astonish all muslims when you people are put their asses on fire when any muslim country want to apply sharia in their own country. Why you people want to interfere in any other country and think its your right to interfere!!!! Think

Check your history ... there is a reason he is called the son of islam ... he was born into islam... the whole christian-profession thing is just a political ploy to make him look electable. But look at his actions -- all pro-muslim anti-christian. Actions speak louder than words ... my comments stand in their entirety.

@lain.kenna@HenryMassingale Well this is not a matter of what if, it is a basic fact that the United Nations can not even enforce their own little Laws.

But do enter the United States to bring forward Gun Laws, that I hold the same contempt as you have, "lose 5 yards and turn the guns over to Terrorist".

I have in my position a photo of children murdered, because they were Christians... The phot is so ...so...wrong....it can not be placed on TV....its....how in the hell can I share with you what I see when I look at these children.....I know what I do...I bring a fight...I would try to show you what I did but this site will not allow the links to the information..

@popeter@Lebow-Ski@Tony5555 Oh please. Don't even lie to me about that. Christian and Catholics have a nice history of dismembering anyone who didn't believe in their God as well. Only recently did they decide MAYBE THIS ISN'T GOOD! Our Bible never said to murder recklessly but plenty of Christians did it. The Qur'an doesn't say to murder indiscriminately for their religion either. Maybe you should go study something or just stop talking.

@traffikator@Tony5555 I would agree that Tony's stupid comment about Obama being muslim is totally incorrect I do however agree with his assessment of the situation in Syria and that an airstrike would only further extreme islam in that country.